New Delhi: The Union environment ministry has amended the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, to include representatives from the Department of Ayush in state and Union territory (UT) advisory committees that oversee the implementation of the rules.
The ministry made another amendment to include a representative, as nominated by the Ayush Departments of the state or Union territory, in district level monitoring committees, which monitor the compliance of the provisions of these rules in districts.
The notification pertaining to these amendments was issued and published on Monday.
Earlier, under rule 11, state and UT advisory committees comprised representatives from the Departments of Health, Environment, Urban Development, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences of that state government or UT administration, State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee, and urban local bodies or local bodies or the municipal corporation.
The committees also included representatives from Indian Medical Association, common bio-medical waste treatment facility, and non-governmental organisations.
The Department of Ayush representatives will now be part of these committees.
The advisory committee “under the chairmanship of the respective health secretary” has to “oversee the implementation of the rules in the respective state and to advice any improvements”, according to rule 11.
As per rule 12, district level monitoring committees have to monitor compliance of the provisions of these rules in “the healthcare facilities generating bio-medical waste and in the common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facilities, where the bio-medical waste is treated and disposed of.
Previously, district level monitoring committees included the district medical officer or district health officer, representatives from State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee, Public Health Engineering Department, local bodies or municipal corporation, Indian Medical Association, common bio-medical waste treatment facility and registered non-governmental organisations working in the field of bio-medical waste management.
Rule 12 says, “[T]he Committee may co-opt other members and experts, if necessary and the District Medical Officer shall be the Member Secretary of this Committee.”
Ayush Department representatives will also be part of the district level monitoring committees as well.
